April 24, 2011

Bruce said...
The kids are gonna be pissed off when they don't get any candy or Easter eggs this year.

galdosiana said...
It's hard to tell, but it looks kind of like a weasel. Were you guys able to figure it out?

Jason (the commenter) said...
"Why can't I just eat my otter?"

Irene said...
Squirrel is a nice, sweet meat.

Big Mike said...
If neighborhood kids come around putting up posters about a missing kitty, I maybe know what happened to it.

No, it wasn't a kitty or a bunny. It wasn't a squirrel either. Weasel and otter were our 2 best guesses. I was leaning toward otter because of the black-tipped tail. Quaestor — another commenter — said groundhog, but it's just not the right shape.

So we gave up and went out to bike the Capitol City Trail. Oddly enough, we spotted the same animal by the side of the bike path. Like the creature in the video, it's dead, but its fur and skin were intact. Help us identify it. Photos after the jump:

It's odd that Meadehouse saw two critters of the same species, both dead, on the same day. That the locals don't immediately recognize it makes it even stranger. You guys have any PETA/ELF-types opening cages on campus these days? Maybe a "fur farm" with a damaged fence?

This year's January in SE Wisconsin:For over 30 minutes we watched a Red Tail eat every bite of a mourning dove caught dining at our back yard bird feeder. This is a diner where all are welcome - including predators.We didn't see the kill, but the thorough consumption of all edibles made us think of a Ruhlman book.

The face looked like a ferret's, so I at once inquired into the nature of ferrets and found they are in the same family as weasels and minks. From there I discovered that the deceased creature is, in fact, an American mink. You could probably fashion a stunning glove out of it.

Certainly no badger or otter. Looks too stout, the tail seems wrong and coloration off for the various weasels. I don't believe American (Pine) Martens are found often in Wisconsin, if my field guide to North American mammals is to be believed, so finding two that close would be surprising.

Anyway, next time set some item next to the corpse for size comparisons: sunglasses, car keys, something of Meade's, etc...

A bit odd, two mink dead that close to each other. Didn't see blood or any serious-looking injuries in those pictures. Kind of makes me suspect disease or foul play (ie poison or some other toxic substance)...

Wisconsin was nicknamed "The Badger State" because of the lead miners and how they would burrow into the hillsides, not because of a proliferation of Badgers. Badgers are actually rare in Wisconsin. http://www.netstate.com/states/intro/wi_intro.htm

Hopefully some of our local hawks get busy eating the grey squirrels in my backyard. I'm feeding 7, so there should be babies soon. Feast for the local Foxes, Coyotes and Hawks. The squirrels love sunflower seeds, which are cheap in bulk, and they are fun to watch. Here is a fun squirrel page, I copied the designs and made my own feeders. http://birdsforever.com/squirrelfeeders.html

Up here in the San Bernardino Mountains the grey squirrels were killed off by west nile virus. I miss them. There used to be tons of them eating the pine cones and the acorns. Now the ground is covered with acorns and no squirrels.

"Up here in the San Bernardino Mountains the grey squirrels were killed off by west nile virus. I miss them. There used to be tons of them eating the pine cones and the acorns. Now the ground is covered with acorns and no squirrels."

You can have all the 'tree rats' that you can carry from NY state Michael, if you wish to restock.

They are plentiful and quite a nuisance. Given the opportunity, they will chew their way into your home, nest, and do all kinds of damage. And, they aren't easy to get rid of.